Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon assured Dabawenyos and Samal residents that the long-awaited Samal Island–Davao City Connector (SIDC) Bridge will be completed and opened to motorists before the end of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s term.
Dizon conducted an aerial inspection of the bridge project following his inspection of the Davao-Bukidnon Road in Purok 39, Sitio Marahan, Barangay Marilog Proper, Davao City, on Thursday.
“Davao-Samal Bridge, matatapos ’yan at madadaanan ’yan bago matapos ang termino. I am confident na ’yung Davao-Samal Bridge matatapos ’yan at madadaanan ’yan bago matapos ang termino ng ating Pangulong BBM,” he told the media.
He acknowledged that the project experienced setbacks due to right-of-way issues and other delays, saying the initial target completion date had been pushed back to the end of 2028.
“Na-delay kasi ’yan, ’no? Dahil sa right-of-way, dahil sa maraming mga delay. Uh, initially sinabi nila sa atin, baka end of 2028 pa matatapos. Pero we are confident now na kinausap ko na ’yung kontratista, kinausap ko na ang mga engineers natin. Kaya ’yan matapos before the end of the term,” he said.
Dizon said he has already met with the contractor and project engineers to accelerate construction and fulfill the administration’s commitment.
“So I’m assuring the people of Davao, the people of the Island Garden City of Samal, that we will finish it before the end of the President’s term. That is the commitment of the President to the people of Davao and to the people of Samal,” he said.
The assurance came as the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region 11 continues to seek additional funding from the national government to sustain the project’s momentum.
During the Habi at Kape media forum earlier this month, DPWH Region 11 spokesperson Dean I. Ortiz said the bridge remains on schedule, with construction reaching 61.334 percent completion as of June 2026, slightly ahead of its programmed accomplishment of 61.26 percent.
Ortiz said the project has already moved into the superstructure phase following the completion of major foundation works, including the installation of box girders.
However, he warned that funding remains a concern.
He said that of the P4.86 billion requested for 2026, only P314 million has been released so far.
He added that DPWH has requested additional funds from the national government to ensure uninterrupted civil works and avoid delays to the project’s target completion.
Once completed, the SIDC Bridge is expected to provide the first permanent road link between Davao City and the Island Garden City of Samal, significantly reducing travel time, improving mobility, and boosting economic and tourism activities in the Davao Region.
